Sen. Mark Kirk on teamwork and a plan for re-election

There was a neat line from U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk in Monday’s piece by reporter Zach Berg about fighting gang influence in Peoria.

Kirk described a growing partnership with his colleague across the aisle, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, that helped deliver grant money for anti-gang efforts throughout the Land of Lincoln.

“This is a direct effect of my stroke,” he said. “When I was laying in my hospital bed, I realized Dick and I have the same title: United States senator from Illinois. Too often senators will spend their time undercutting each other. I realized that we are two horses in the same harness pulling one car: Illinois. If we can stop gangs here in Peoria, we can give a lesson to the rest of the country.”

That’s much the same theme as he sounds in a nice profile that ran 10 days back in Roll Call, where he weighs in on the evolution of his relationship with Durbin and the desire to pull together more on matters benefiting the state.

That’s quite good. I think that Illinois lawmakers have generally been very good about prioritizing the good of the state above any internal squabbles. That ain’t always the case elsewhere (and, yes, sometimes politics interferes even here…). But the goal is a laudable one.

That Roll Call piece (seriously — go read it) also details Kirk’s anticipated re-election bid in 2016. That’s an effort that the piece notes is quietly getting under way now as the senator continues his recovery from a life-altering stroke.

To that end, it notes, the senator’s political team has divided the state “into 10 major media markets, aiming to hit each area as often as possible.”

He’s already been here several times of late — a veteran’s job fair last year, plus touring tornado-damaged Washington, plus his visit to Peoria on Sunday to talk about anti-gang funding. That’s good to see; sometimes pols get so ensconced in their seats that they don’t come to visit as much.

On the political side, he also hasn’t ignored the area. He was a featured speaker Saturday at the Stark County GOP’s annual Lincoln Day luncheon. While a persistent snowdrift near your blogger’s home kept him from being there, we’re told the place was packed — a notable draw in an otherwise small county.

Here’s hoping we continue to see more of Kirk in the Peoria area for both official and political business. His is a valuable brain to pick on many a policy — one of my three favorites for informed, wonky discussion on state and national issues — and voters deserve the chance to toss plenty of questions at him on issues (and elections) before 2016 hits.